Economists say having a job may no longer be enough for self-sufficiency in today's economy.

"A low-wage job supplemented with food stamps is becoming more common for the working poor," said Timothy Smeeding, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in income inequality. "Many of the U.S. jobs now being created are low- or minimum-wage — part-time or in areas such as retail or fast food — which means food stamp use will stay high for some time, even after unemploymentimproves."

In fact, working-age people now make up the majority of U.S. households that rely on food stamps:

Some of the change is due to demographics, such as the trend toward having fewer children. But a slow economic recovery with high unemployment, stagnant wages and an increasing gulf between low-wage and high-skill jobs also plays a big role. It suggests that governmentspending on the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program — twice what it cost five years ago — may not subside significantly anytime soon.

Curious why despite the huge miss in payrolls the unemployment ratetumbled from 7.0% to 6.7%? The reason is because in December the civilian labor force did what it usually does in the New Normal: it dropped from 155.3 million to 154.9 million, which means the labor participation rate just dropped to a fresh 35 year low, hitting levels not seen since 1978, at 62.8% down from 63.0%.

And the piece de resistance: Americans not in the labor force exploded higher by 535,000 to a new all time high 91.8 million.

Wages are stuck, and barely rose at all in 2013. They were up 1.9 percent last year, or a mere 0.4 percent after accounting for inflation. Not only was that increase even smaller than the one recorded in 2012, it was half the normal rate of wage gains in the two decades before the last recession.

While the peasants struggle, the Obamas and their canine companions enjoy a lavish lifestyle. Bo and Sunny even got to go with the Obamas on their $4 million Christmas extravaganza in Hawaii.

Tweeters shared their feelings about the pampered pups and Lady Michelle's insensitive, out-of-touch reminder to Americans that her pets have it better than most of us:

So the President's wife just tweeted photos of her jewelry-festooned canines eating at a mirrored palace table. #Speechless#Optics